Preliminaries to the Cultivation

To begin the practice, sit quietly for a few minutes to regulate your breathing, relax your body and concentrate your mind. Visualize your parents, children, relatives, friends and enemies joining you in this practice. Clap your hands twice or cross your arms against your chest and snap your fingers to wake Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in your altar.

1. Purification Mantra
   
   First, join palms, and recite,
   
   "Om, Mani Padme, Hum"
   
   Purification of Speech
   Om, syo-lee syo-lee, ma-ha syo-lee, syo-syo-lee, so-ha
   
   Purification of Body
   Om, syo-do-lee, syo-do-lee, syo-mo-lee, syo-mo-lee, so-ha
   
   Purification of mind
   Om, fo ri la dam, ho ho hum
   
   Calling upon the local earth deity to guard the premises
   Namo sam-man-do, moo-toh-nam, om, do-lo do-lo de-wei, so-ha
   
   
   
2. Invocation
   
   Recite the Invocation Mantra
   Om ah hum, so ha (3 times)
   
   While reciting the syllable "Hum", visualize a lotus in your heart chakra bearing the seed syllable "Hum". The syllable radiates a beam of white light which projects through your crown chakra, up and merge with the space above. By repeating this visualization three times, you can invoke the buddhas and deities to descend down.
   
   
   We sincerely call upon
   Namo Lineage Root Guru Living Buddha Lian-sheng
   Namo Maha Padmakumara
   Namo Lotus Light Self-Mastery Buddha
   Namo All Lineage Gurus of True Buddha School
   (Each chapter or individual practitioner may call upon Buddhas and Bodhisattvas specifically honored in their shrine.)
   Namo Vairochana Buddha
   Namo Akshobhya Buddha
   Namo Ratnasambhava Budddha
   Namo Amitabha Buddha of Western Paradise
   Namo Amoghasiddhi Buddha
   Namo the Fundamental Teacher Shakyamuni Buddha
   Namo Medicine Buddha
   Namo Thousand-armed Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva
   Namo Maha Cundi Bodhisattva
   Namo Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva
   Namo Yellow Jambhala
   Namo Padmasambhava
   Namo Vajrasattva
   Namo Ucchusma
   Namo Acala
   Namo Samantabhadra Bodhisattva
   Namo Manjusri Bodhisattva
   Namo Akasagarbha Bodhisattva
   Namo Twenty-one Tara
   Namo the Goden Mother of the Jade Pond
   
   All Buddhas everywhere throughout the Three times
   All Bodhisattvas and Mahasattvas
   Namo Maha Prajna Paramita
   
   
3. The Great Homage
   
   Homage to the Ten Directions Buddhas
   Visualize the Root Guru appearing in the space before and above you. The ancient lineage masters, the eight personal deities, all Buddhas of the ten directions throughout the past, present and future, all great Bodhisattvas, Vajra Protectors and Nagas covering the space like innumerable stars.
   
   Form the Buddha mudra by joining your palms together, fingers pointing up and brought together. Leave a slight space between your palms. Perform the following:
   
   
   1. Touch your third-eye chakra and visualize a beam of white light arching down from your root guru's eye chakra and entering your forehead to purify your body (purifying the body)
   
   
   
   
   2. Touch your throat chakra and visualize a beam of red light arching down from your root guru's throat chakra and entering your throat to purify your speech. (purifying the speech)
   
   
   
   3. Touch your heart chakra and visualize a beam of blue light arching down from your root guru's hear chakra and entering your heart to purify your mind. (purifyin the mind)
   
   
   
   4. Visualize a prostration before all the Buddas.
   
   
   
   5. Finally bring the mudra back to the third-eye chakra and release the mudra.
   
   
   
   Homage to all Bodhisattvas
   Use the Lotus mudra and repeat (i) thru (v) above.
   
   Join your palms together, fingers pointing up. Then open the palms so that only the bases of the palms, the entire thumbs and entire little finger meet. The other fingers are spread out straight but as widely as possible, like an opened lotus.
   
   
   Homage to the Vajra Protectors
   Use the Vajra Handclasp mudra and repeat (i) thru (v) as before.
   
   Join your palms together, fingers pointing up. Spread out the fingers of each hand just enough to interlace the fingers of each hand at the third joint, with the right thumb over the left and each finger of the right hand over the corresponding finger of the left hand.
   
   
   Half Bow
   Use the Equanimity mudra
   
   Form a triangle by joining the tips of your index fingers together and the tips of your thumbs together. Keep the fingers and thumbs straight. Join the other fingers together by interlacing them in parallel, palms facing towards yourself.
   
   Bring the mudra to your third-eye chakra and perform a half bow. Then release the mudra at your forehead. This bow is to all Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Vajra Protectors and Devas.
   
   
4. Mandala Offering
   
   The Great Mandala Offering
   Use the Offering Mudra.
   
   Interlace your fingers (with hands back to back so that the palms and fingers face upwards. Hook the index fingers of the left hand over the middle finger of the right. Hook the index finger of the fight hand over the middle finger of the left. Hook the thumb of the left hand over the little finger of the right. Hook the thumb of the right hand over the little finger of the left. Place your ring fingers vertically back to back. Position the mudra in front of your chest.
   
   Visualize offerings such as clean water, soapy water, flowers, incense, candle, incense disk, food, and seashell. Visualize the offering multiplied to first form a row, then multiplied again into an infinite quantity that fills the whole of the universe. Sincerely dedicate these offerings to your Root Guru and all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas above, all the Devas and Sages in the middle, and all the sentient beings in the Six Realms of Transmigration below.
   
   Chant the Offering Mantra:
   Om, sa-er-wa, da-ta-ga-da, ee-da-mooh, gu-ru la-na, man-cha-la, kan, nee-lee-ye, da-ye-mee
   
   Release the mudra at the third-eye chakra
   
   
5. Fourfold Refuge
   
   Visualize the Four Refuges as follows: while reciting Namo Guru bei, visualize Grand Master Lu radiant and appearing in the space before and above you; for Namo Buddha ye, visualize all Buddhas of the ten directions radiant and appearing in the space; for Namo Dharma ye, visualize all Buddhist scriptures radiant and appearing in the space; for Namo Sangha ye, visualize numerous sanghas and sages radiant and appearing in the space.
   
   Bring the palms together and recite the Fourfold Refuge mantra 3 times:
   
   Namo Guru bei
   Namo Buddha ye
   Namo Dharma ye
   Namo Sangha ye
   
   After reciting the Fourfold Refuge Mantra, visualize the Four Refuges merging together and transforming into a brilliant revolving light. This light arches through space, entering your body at the crown chakra, and filling your body with light. Problems and negative karma are expelled from your body as black smoke through the pores of your skin. Your body becomes crystal clear, radiating light.
   
   
6. Armor Protection
   
   The armor protection is to protect one's space from negative energy while one is doing meditation. Form the Vajra Handclasp Mudra in front of the forehead. Recite the Protection Mantra:
   
   Om, boru lan ze lee (7 times)
   
   Visualization: After the recitation, touch the mudra to your third-eye chakra, then your throat, heart, left shoulder, right shoudler and back to your third-eye chakra. Visualize a brilliant blue light radiating from the mudra. As you are releasing the mudra at your forehead, visualize Four rays of brilliant blue light emitting from the mudra; one to your left, one to your right, one to your front and one to your back; each turning into a Vajra Protector.
   
   
7. High King Avalokitesvara Sutra
   

   GAO WANG GUAN SHI YIN ZHEN JING:
   High King Kuan Yin Sutra:

   GUAN SHI YIN PU SA,
   Homage to Kuan Yin Bodhisattva

   NA MO FO,
   Homage to the Buddhas,

   NA MO FA,
   Homage to the Dharma,

   NA MO SENG,
   Homage to the Sangha.

   FO GUO YOU YUAN, FO FA XIANG YIN,
   An affinity with the Pure Lands opens the Dharma Doors,

   CHANG LE WO JING, YOU YUAN FO FA.
   By engaging permanence, bliss identity and purity, one is blessed with the Dharma

   NA MO MO HO BO RE BO LUO MI SHI DA SHEN ZHOU,
   Namo Maha Prajna Paramita, a great spiritual mantra.

   NA MO MO HE BO RUO BO LUO MI SHI DA MING ZHOU,
   Namo Maha Praina Paramita, a great wisdom mantra.
   
   NA MO MO HE BO RUO BO LUO MI SHI WU SHANG ZHOU,
   Namo Maha Prajna Paramita, a supreme mantra.
   
   NA MO MO HE BO RUO BO LUO MI SHI WU DENG DENG ZHOU.
   Namo Maha Prajna Paramita, an unequalled mantra.

   NA MO JING GUANG MI MI FO,
   Namo the Pure Light Secret Buddha,

   FA ZANG FO,
   the Dharma Treasury Buddha,

   SHI ZI HOU SHEN ZU YOU WANG FO,
   the Tranquil King Buddha with Lion!|s roar and divine speed,

   FO GAO XU MI DENG WANG FO,
   the Sumeru Light King Buddha announced by Buddha,

   FA HU FO,
   the Dharma Protector Buddha,

   JIN GANG ZANG SHI ZI YOU XI FO,
   the Vajra Treasury Roaming Lion Buddha,

   BAO SHENG FO,
   the Precious Victory Buddha,

   SHEN TONG FO,
   the Supernatural Power Buddha,

   YAO SHI LIU LI GUANG WANG FO,
   the Medicine Crystal Light King Buddha,

   PU GUANG GONG DE SHAN WANG FO,
   the Universal Light Merit Mountain King Buddha,

   SHAN ZHU GONG DE BAO WANG FO,
   the Merit Retaining jewel King Buddha,

   GUO QU Ql FO,
   the Seven Past Buddhas,

   WEI LAI XIAN JIE QIAN FO,
   the Future Thousand Buddhas of this fortunate eon,

   QIAN WU BAI FO,
   the Fifteen Hundred Buddhas,

   WAN WU QIAN FO,
   the Fifteen Thousand Buddhas,

   WU BAI HUA SHENG FO,
   the Five Hundred Flower Victory Buddhas,

   BAI YI JIN GANG ZANG FO,
   the Ten Billion Vajra Treasury Buddhas,

   DING GUANG FO,
   and the Fixed Light Buddha,

   LIU FANG LIU FO MING HAO:
   The Buddhas of Six Directions:

   DONG FANG BAO GUANG YUE DIAN YUE MIAO ZUN YIN
   WANG FO,
   To the East the Precious Light Moon Palace Venerable Wonderful Voice King Buddha,

   NAN FANG SHU GEN HUA WANG FO,
   to the South the Tree-Root Flower King Buddha,

   XI FANG ZAO WANG SHEN TONG YAN HUA WANG FO,
   to the West the Spiritual Power Flower Blazing King Buddha,

   BEI FANG YUE DIAN QING JING FO,
   to the North the Moon Palace Purity Buddha,

   SHANG FANG WU SHU JING JIN BAO SHOU FO,
   Above, the countless Vigor jewel Crown Buddhas,

   XIA FANG SHAN JI YUE YIN WANG FO.
   Below, the Tranquil Moon Sound King Buddha.

   WU LIANG ZHU FO,
   All the countless Buddhas,

   DUO BAO FO,
   Many Jewels Buddha,

   SHI JIA MOU NI FO,
   Shakyamuni Buddha,

   MI LE FO,
   Maitreya Buddha,

   AH CHU FO,
   Akshobhya Buddha,

   MI TUO FO.
   Amitabha Buddha.

   ZHONG YANG YI QIE ZHONG SHENG,
   All beings in the Central Realm,

   ZAI FO SHI JIE ZHONG ZHE,
   and those in the Pure Lands,

   XING ZHU YU DI SHANG, JI ZAI XU KONG ZHONG
   while moving upon the Earth and through the Heavens,

   Cl YOU YU YI QIE ZHONG SHENG,
   shower limitless compassion upon all living beings,

   GE LING AN WEN XIU XI
   affording them equanimity and peace,

   ZHOU YE XIU CHI
   that they might cultivate day and night

   XIN CHANG QIU SONG Cl JING
   By constantly invoking this sutra,

   NENG MIE SHENG SI KU, XIAO CHU ZHU DU HAI,
   one is liberated from the suffering of birth and death, and freed from all the many kinds of suffering.

   NA MO DA MING GUAN SHI YIN,
   Homage to the great wisdom Kuan Yin,

   GUAN MING GUAN SHI YIN,
   the observant Kuan Yin,

   GAO MING GUAN SHI YIN,
   the noble Kuan Yin,

   KAI MING GUAN SHI YIN,
   the expansively-minded Kuan Yin,

   YAO WANG PU SA,
   the Medicine King Bodhisattva,

   YAO SHANG PU SA,
   the supreme Medicine Bodhisattva,

   WEN SHU SHI LI PU SA,
   Manjusri Bodhisattva,

   PU XIAN PU SA,
   Samantabhadra Bodhisattva,

   XU KONG ZANG PU SA,
   Akasagarbha Bodhisattva,

   DI ZANG WANG PU SA,
   Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva,

   QING LIANG BAO SHAN YI WAN PU SA,
   the billions of Clear Cool Treasure Mountain Bodhisattvas,

   PU GUANG WANG RU LAI HUA SHENG PU SA,
   the Universal Light Venerable King Tathagata Bodhisattva.

   NIAN NIAN SONG Cl JING,
   Chanting this sutra continually,

   Ql FO SHI ZUN, JI SHOU ZHOU YUE:
   the Seven World-Honored Buddhas recite this mantra:

   Lee-poh-lee-poh-deh, kyo-ho-kyo-ho-deh, toh-loh-nee-deh, nee-ah-la-deh, pee-lee-nee-deh, mo-ho-kya-deh, jen-len-chen deh, so-ha (7 times)
   
   
8. Recite the Rebirth Mantra (7 times)
   
   Na-mo A-mi-doh-poh-ye, doh-ta-ga-doh-ye, doh-deh-ye-ta, A-mi-lee-doo poh pee, A-mi-lee-doh seh dan poh pee, A-mi-lee-doh pek-ga-lan-deh, A-mi-lee-doh pek-ga-lan-doh, ga-nee-nee ka-ka-la, ji-doh-ka-lee, so-ha.




9. Guru Yoga Visualization
   Place the right hand before the right side of your chest, with palm facing outward and the fingers together pointing up. Form a circle with the thumb and middle finger with tips meeting each other. (This is the Teaching Mudra)
   
   Place the left hand before the left side of your chest, palm up facing inward and fingers together pointing up. Form a cicle with the thumb and the index finger with tips meeting each other. Then bend the middle and ring fingers in to touch the center of the palm. The small finger remains pointed up. (This is the Lotus Holding mudra)
   
   
   
   
   Visualization
   
   Visualize a cloudless azure sky and then recite the "Emptiness Visualization Mantra", which is:
   
   Om, Shi-ba-wa Su-da, Sa-er-wa, Da-er-ma, Shi-ba-wa, Su-dor-hung. (3 times) times)
   
   
   a. Visualize an ocean with a placid, mirror-like surface. Above is a clear, cloudless sky. A full moon rises above the horizon. Inside this moon is the seed syllable; "HUM" radiating white light.
   
   
   
   b.The "HUM" syllable inside the moon begins to spin, transforming into the Root Guru seated on a white lotus. The Guru appears in your mind as being dignified and tranquil.
   
   c. At his third eye chakra, the Guru sends forth a beam of brilliant white light, which enters your third eye chakra to cleanse the karmic hindrances from your body. Next, from his throat chakra, he sends forth a beam of brilliant red light which enters your throat chakra to cleanse the karmic hindrances from your speech. Finally, from his heart chakra, he sends forth a beam of brilliant blue light which enters your heart chakra to cleanse the karmic hindrances from your mind.
   
   (The HUM syllable)
   
   

10. Guru Heart Mantra
    
    Recite the Guru's (Padmakumara) Heart Mantra
    
    Chanting Visualization
    Hold the counting beads with both hands out in front of you. Use your thumbs to count the beads while chanting.
    
    Visualize your left hand becoming a vajra bell which symbolizes wisdom. The right hand becomes a dorje which symbolizes compassion. The head bead of the counting beads represents the Many Jewels Buddha Pagoda. The four sectional beads symbolize the Four Regions Heaven Vajra Protectors. The tassel at the end of the beads represents the hands of the Buddha. The string inside the beads becomes white light, symbolizing Vajrasattva's nature. With each chanting of the mantra, visualize the Root Guru appearing in front of you from the center of the counting beads.
    
    Mantra
    
    
    
    Recite the Guru's heart mantra 108 times:
    Om ah hum, gu-ru-bei, ah-ho-sa-sa-ma-ha, Lian-shen sih-dee hum.
    
    Or recite the short version:
    
    Om, gu-ru, Lian-shen sih-dee, hum.
    
    



11. Nine Cycle Breathing and Entering Meditation
    
    Nine Cycle Breathing
    Beginners may wish to use the breath counting method instead.
    
    Sitting in a meditation position, visualize that your body is pure and transparent like a shining crystal, with three "subtle energy channels" as follows:
    
    The central channel begins at a place about four finger widths below the navel (called the dan-tien in Chinese), and ascends the center of the body to open up like a trumpet at the top of your skull.
    
    The left and right channels also begin at the dan-tien, but branch off to each side and ascend parallel to the central channel to the level of the crown chakra, then curve down to end in the respective left and right nostrils.
    
    Now visualize before you a brilliant white light, perhaps as the exhalation of your Deity, and perform the Nine Cycle Breathing by following these steps. Each breath should be slow and smooth, deep and complete.
    
    
    1. Visualize white light entering the right nostril to become red light. The light descends the right channel to the dan-tien. The red light ascends the left channel exiting the left nostril as dark smoky light.
    
    
    
    2. Visualize white light entering the left nostril to become red light. The light descends the left channel to the dan-tien. The red light ascends the right channel exiting the right nostril as dark smoky light.
    
    
    
    3. Visualize white light simultaneously enterinc, both nostrils, transforming into red light and descending the left and right channels to the dan-tien. Next the red light ascends the central channel to the crown chakra and descends again to the dan-tien. Finally, the red light ascends the left and right channels exiting the nostrils as dark smoky light.
    
    
    
    4. Breathe in through the left-nostril and out at the right (as in 2).
    
    
    
    5. Breathe in through the right nostril and out at the left (as in 1).
    
    
    
    6. Breathe in and out through both nostrils (as in 3).
    
    
    
    7. Breathe in and out through both nostrils (as in 3).
    
    
    
    8. Breathe in through the right nostril and out at the left (as in 1).
    
    
    
    9. Breathe in through the left nostril and out at the right (as in 2).
       
       
       Enter into the state of Samahdi meditation
       Visualization of Entering of the Deity into Oneself
       
       
    1. Visualize the Deity seated on a lotus above your crown chakra.
    
    
    
    2. Within your body, visualize a lotus flower appearing at your heart chakra. Above the lotus is a moon disc. Inside this disc is the seed syllable "HUM" radiating white light.
    
    
    
    3. Visualize the Deity above your head turning into a white luminous body about the size of a grain of rice. Then, the "HUM" syllable sets forth a beam of white light to invoke and draw the Deity. Next, the grain size Deity enters your body through the crown chakra, and then descends through the central channel to rest on the lotus at your heart chakra.
    
    
    
    4. The luminous body on the lotus flower gradually transforms into the Deity and then gradually enlarges until He is identical to your size. Instantaneously, you transforms into the Deity. Your facial features become that of the Deity's, your body is the same as His, and your limps are indistinguishable from His. At this stage, you and the Deity become one.
       
       Visualization of Entering Oneself into the Deity
    5. Continuing to visualize yourself as the Deity, ascend through the central channel, exiting your body through the crown chakra to merge with the light of the Universe.
    
    
    
    
    

12. Eight Deity Heart Mantras
    
    Recite the Eight Principal Deity Heart Mantras
    On exiting meditation, sit quietly a few moments, then recite the Eight Principal Deity Heart Mantras.
    
    Amitabha Buddha
    Om, a-mee deh-wah, seh. (Sanskrit: Om, Amitabha hri.)
    
    Kuan Yin Bodhisattva (Avalokitesvara)
    Om, ma-nee pad-mee, hum. (Sanskrit: Om, mani padme hum.)
    
    Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva mantra that purifies fixed karma
    Om, pun-lah-moh lin-toh-lin, so-ha. (Sanskrit: Om, prama nidani svaha.)
    
    Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva heart mantra
    Om, ha ha ha, wei sam-mo-deh, so-ha. (Sanskrit: Om, ha ha ha vismaye svaha.)
    
    Maha Cundi Bodhisattva
    Om, dze-lee dzu-lee zhun-teh, so-ha. (Sanskrit: Om, cale cule cunde svaha.)
    
    Jambhala
    Om, jum-bah-lah, chah-lan chah-nah-yeh, so-ha. (Sanskrit: Om, Janibhala dsalendraye svaha.)
    
    Medicine Buddha
    Deh-yah-tah, om, beh-ka-dze-yah, beh-kah-dze-yah, ma-ha beh-kah-dze-yah, la dza sah mo kyah-dah-ah, so-ha. (Sanskrit: Tadyatha om bhaisajya bhaisajya mahabhaisajya raja samungate savha.)
    
    Padmasambhava
    Om, ah hum, be-dza, gu-ru beh-ma, sih-dee, hum, seh. (Sanskrit: Om, ah lium vaira guru padma siddhi hum hri.)
    
    Padmakumara
    Om, ah hum, gu-ru-bei, ah-ho-sa-sa-ma-ha, Lian-shen sih-dee hum.
    
    
    
13. Amitabha Homage
    
    Homage to the Amitabha Buddhas
    Homage to the 36 trillion, 119 thousand and 500 Amitabha Buddhas (3 times)
    
    
    
14. Vajrasattva Hundred Syllable Repentance Mantra
    
    (The Hundred Syllable Mantra is to make up for any errors or omissions during the practice. Recite this mantra 3 times)
    
    
    Om, be-dza sah-do sa-ma-ya, ma-nu bah-la-ya, be-dza sah-do deh-lu-pah-deh-cha, zhe-jo mi bah-wa, soo-do ka-yu mi bah-wa, soo-poo-ka-yu mi bah-wa, an-nu-la-do mi bah-wa, sa-er-wa sid-di mi bu-la-ya-cha, sa-er-wa ka-er-ma soo-cha mi, ji-da-moo see-li-ren, gu-ru hum, ha ha ha ha hoh, bah-ga-wan, sa-er-wa da- ta-ga-ta, be-dze ma-mee mun-cha, be-ji ba-wa,ma-ha sa-ma-ya sah-do ah, hum, pei.
    
    
15. Dedication and Merit Transference
    
    Verse for Transferring Merit
    May all who uphold the name of Amitabha Buddha, be re-born together in the Pure Land of His Western Paradise.
    Repaying the Fourfold Generosity from above and aiding those who suffer in the Three Paths below.
    Upon seeing the Buddha, may I be liberated from the cycle of birth and death; and may I develop the qualities of Buddhahood and thus free all who suffer.
    As a True Buddha practitioner, I dedicate this merit to everyone, that all may be healthy, free of hindrances, strong in cultivation, and that all wishes may come true.
    
    (At this time, one may silently make one's personal dedication.)
    
    
16. The Great Homage (Same as step 3 above)
    
    
17. Completion
    
    Recite the Completion Mantra
    Om, bu lin (3 times)
    

OM MANI PADME HUM.

Clap your hands twice or cross your arms against your chest and snap your fingers to disperse Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in your altar.

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